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Harper arrived at the Rogue Scout zone. Scattered around the clearing were small groups of humanoid mobs, four or five in each cluster.
Luckily, they were spaced out enough that he could find some isolated pairs.
He did a quick mental calculation. Comparing his stats to theirs, and factoring in the regeneration from his [Red Food Pills], he could handle two at once. Any more than that, and he'd be overwhelmed.
He activated [Stealth].
"Gotta pick off the weak ones first."
After scouting for a bit, he locked onto a pair of Rogue Scouts standing slightly apart from the main group.
Even though they were higher level than him, Harper had the holy trinity of early game tools: [Kunai Mastery], [Shuriken Mastery], and [Stealth]. These guys were tougher than the bandits, sure, but they were still just mobs.
He crept up behind one of them and went for the throat.
Slash!
Defense Ignored!
Fatal Blow!
Stealth Crit!
Bleed Effect Triggered!
The Rogue Scout roared in fury, spinning around and slashing blindly with his kunai. The blade caught Harper in the shoulder.
At the same time, the second scout spotted him and charged, screaming a war cry.
Harper immediately popped a [Red Food Pill] and started kiting. He focused all his damage on the bleeding scout first, dragging him around until he dropped dead.
Once it was a 1v1, he ran out of the second scout's aggro range to reset the fight, then rinsed and repeated the stealth-opener strategy.
As the second scout collapsed, a piece of gear dropped.
Ding!
[System]: Killed Rogue Scout. Base XP: 300. Level Gap Bonus (+3): 30%. Total XP: 390.
"Not bad."
Harper did the math. At this rate, he'd level up in a few hours.
Compared to the poor souls back in the starter zone fighting over pigs or resting for 30 minutes after killing one bandit, his grinding speed was god-tier.
He picked up the item.
[Rogue Scout's Vest]
Requirement: Level 3
Type: Cloth Armor
Defense: 8
Stats: Constitution +2
It was just a "White" (Common) item, but right now, it was worth its weight in gold.
Harper guessed he could count the number of players on the server with actual armor on one hand.
He equipped it immediately. "You know, putting on actual clothes really changes a man. I feel sharper already."
He sat down to let his HP regenerate naturally. By the time he was full, the two scouts had respawned.
And so the grind began. Harper fell into a rhythm: Kill scouts, loot shuriken and kunai, pick up copper coins.
Occasionally they dropped [Food Pills], which was a lifesaver. Without those drops, his supply would have run dry long ago.
Since no other players had made it this deep into the forest yet, Harper had the entire zone to himself. He lost track of time, completely absorbed in the slaughter.
It wasn't until a pillar of white light engulfed him that he realized the sun had gone down.
Ding!
[System]: Congratulations! You have leveled up. Current Level: 4.
All Stats +1.
He checked his status panel.
Character: Harper the Great
Faction: Hidden Leaf Village
Level: 4 (0%)
HP: 170
Chakra: 0
Strength: 15
Agility: 15
Constitution: 15 + 2 (Gear)
Ninjutsu: 15
Status: [Minor Fatigue] (XP Gain -50%)
Skills:
[Basic Kunai Mastery]
[Basic Shuriken Mastery]
[Basic Invisibility Cloak]
[Craft Basic Paper Bomb]
The [Fatigue] status was a safety feature designed to stop players from gaming for too long and hurting their real-life health.
If it escalated to [Major Fatigue], the system would forcibly log you out.
Harper stared at the status icon with a bitter smile.
"Other players get kicked back to the real world. But me? Where would I go?"
Just as he was starting to feel sorry for himself, the Starter Village Chat Channel exploded with activity.
Apparently, ShadowSlayer—the guy who tried to recruit him earlier—had gotten a [Basic Kunai Mastery] skill scroll to drop from a bandit.
Seeing the skill description linked in chat, everyone lost their minds.
"ShadowSlayer is a god!"
"Boss, please let me join!"
"I'll be your meat shield! Just carry me!"
"No wonder I keep missing attacks... I need that skill!"
"Real strength isn't about being strong yourself, it's about having strong minions! Boss ShadowSlayer, are you still recruiting?"
ShadowSlayer, soaking up the attention, typed into the global chat:
"Shadow Clan is recruiting! Anyone who values loyalty and brotherhood is welcome. First ten to join get a bonus!"
That skill scroll was probably the only one on the server—aside from Harper's built-in skills. No wonder the guy was gloating.
Harper shrugged. He looked at his own skill tree, which contained literally every jutsu in the franchise.
"It's just a basic skill. Is it really that hard to get?"
He smirked and turned back toward the village.
Because of the fatigue system, the crowd at the edge of the village had thinned out significantly. Players were turning into beams of white light and logging off for the night.
Looking at the quiet, darkened village, a wave of loneliness hit Harper. He had nowhere to go.
Grrr...
His stomach growled loudly.
"Heh. I bet I'm the only player who actually gets hungry in-game."
He shook his head and casually slaughtered a nearby Wild Boar.
He carved off a leg, found a secluded spot, and started a small fire to roast the meat.
"ARGH! WHY WON'T IT WORK?!"
A frustrated shout rang out from nearby.
Harper stood up and walked toward the sound. Through the trees, he saw a young boy with spiky yellow hair sitting on the ground, clutching his head in frustration.
Next to him lay a pathetic, melting blob that looked like a failed clone.
"Well, well," Harper whispered. "If it isn't Naruto."